'Tis the Season

I received a holiday card the other day from my accountant’s office. It said:

All of us at the [redacted] Group would like to take this opportunity to wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.

We are grateful to all our clients and friends who have made our continued success possible.

We have chosen to forego our annual holiday parties in recognition of the uncertain economic times we are all facing and instead have chosen to make a charitable contribution on your behalf.

I am well accustomed to the “charitable contribution on your behalf” message — not that I’m expecting a gift from my accountant — but the “uncertain economic times” has a real, well, depressing ring to it. At the very least, I admire the firm’s getting out in front of the bad news by sending out its card in early November. I have a feeling this isn’t the last of its kind I’ll see this year.

Got the same crap here. The holiday turkeys are scrapped because “we’re an international company and it’s not fair to those of us who work overseas and do not celebrate Thanksgiving….” It’s “been donated to the International Red Cross in you name….”

Okay, so now when do I, in the spirit of fairness, get six weeks of vacation a year (or my European colleagues donate three of theirs to charity)?

I agree with DK1, taking away the holiday party just lowers the morale of the employees at the accounting firm. The benefits associated with such a party far outweigh the costs of a party. Even a cheap social gathering is beneficial. In my opinion, bad decision on the accounting firm.

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